Meimei: "Today we're having a large group come to stay..."

I'm going over this afternoon's schedule when someone says from behind me...

???: "Excuse me...!"

Meimei: "Hm?"

I look up and see the young delivery man from the other day.

Meimei: "Oh? Hello, Murata."

Murata: "..."

But the smile from the other day is gone, instead he looks kind of nervous.

Murata: "Um, I know this is kind of sudden..."

Meimei: "Yes...?"

Murata: "But from the first moment I saw you the other day, I fell in love with you."

Meimei: "Wh-What!?"

I'm totally speechless.

Meimei: "Ummmm..."

(No one's ever said that to me before. I'm not sure what to do...)

Murata: "Please go out with me!"

He pleads frantically, and I'm totally overwhelmed.

Meimei: "Hell no! Sorry, I already have a boyfriend!"

I manage to say after I calm myself down a little, but I angry.

Murata: "...Oh... of course you do. I'm really sorry I brought this up all of a sudden."

He looks visibly upset, and his face reminds me of both Ryosuke and Jasmine at the same time.

(He looks like an abandoned puppy...)

Meimei: "I can't be your girlfriend. But we can be friends..."

Meimei: "I'm warning you... if you asked me out, my friends or cousins will kill you."

I said as warning, unable to stand seeing his sad face anymore.

Murata: "Oh, right!? That's fine, that's totally great!!"

Murata: "I'd love to be friends with you!!"

A smile instantly spreads over his face, and it's contagious.

Murata: "Oh, um... what's your name?"

Meimei: "It's Meimei Yae."

Murata: "Great! I'm so glad we're friends now, Meimei!"

Murata says with a smile as bright as the sun.

(He's so expressive.)

He waves at me enthusiastically and says he has to go back to work.

(I probably should tell Soryu about all this...)

(It's not like I have to hide it. I'll tell him when I get home.)
___________________________________________________

I head up to the penthouse lounge to clean.

Mamoru: "Hey."

Meimei: "Yes?"

Mamoru: "That delivery boy just asked ya out, didn't he?"

Meimei: "...!?"

(D-Did he saw me!?)

Everyone's eyes turn on me. And Soryu's here, of course.

(I bet Soryu is totally getting the wrong idea.)

Meimei: "...Well, that's..."

I sigh when I spoke.

Meimei: "That's true. He did asked me out..."

(I should just admit to it so no one gets the wrong idea.)

I think as I admit the truth to them.

Baba: "Seriously!?"

Baba: "Looks like you still got it, Meimei!"

Ota: "So? What'd you tell him?"

Meimei: "I turned him down, obviously."

Ota: "For real? Booooooring."

("Boring" my ass!?)

Meimei: "And I told him as warning about asked me out... because Mulan and Lei Fang and my two cousins will kill him."

Baba & Ota: "Whoa!"

Soryu: "..."

While everyone else is busy teasing me, Soryu just silently leaves the room.

Ota: "Hm? Is he in a bad mood?"

Baba: "That's odd. Soryu almost never gets mad."

(I knew it. He DID take it the wrong way.)

I quickly go after him.
___________________________

Soryu: "..."

Meimei: "Wait a minute, Soryu!?"

(I wonder if he's mad...)

I call out to him from behind, and suddenly he grabs my wrist and pulls me towards him.

Soryu: "Turn around."

Meimei: "Soryu?"

Soryu: "...I want to be the first person to hear about those kinds of things."

Meimei: "!!!"

(Is he feeling insecure?)

I wonder when I feel him hugging me.

Meimei: "...I'm sorry. I didn't want you to think it was a big deal."

Meimei: "I turned him down right away, so don't worry."

Soryu: "...That makes me feel better."

Meimei: "I mean, of course I did! So I have you, I'd never think of being with someone else!"

Meimei: "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it. I wanted to."

Meimei: "From now on, you'll always be the first to know."

Soryu: "That would make me very happy."

Meimei: "...It's a guy from that delivery company. He just got assigned this route."

Meimei: "His name is Murata and he's Japanese, but I think he was born here."

Meimei: "He reminds me of Ryosuke, so it's really hard to dislike him."

Soryu: "...Like Inui, eh?"

Soryu: "I guess that does make it difficult to get angry at him."

He smiles wryly and I breathe a sigh of relief.

Meimei: "But I really did say no to him right away. We're just going to be friends."

Meimei: "And I made sure to tell him I have a boyfriend."

Soryu: "I know. I trust you."

Soryu: "...I just didn't know what to do when I heard another man asked you out."

Soryu: "I didn't act very mature."

His smile suddenly turns very soft.

(I'm glad we cleared that all up.)

He hugs me tenderly, like he always does.

(Uh-oh, I'm still working.)

Soryu must've read my mind, because he brings me even closer to him.

Soryu: "Just stay here a little longer."

Meimei: "Okay..."

And so for just a little longer, we stay in the empty hallway and share a kiss.
__________________________________________

That weekend.

Rahman: "Oh, it's so nice to see you again, Meimei!"

Meimei: "Hello, Rahman!"

Rahman's come over to the house.

Meimei: "Please make yourself at home."

Rahman: "Thanks! This place is so comfortable, I'll have no problem doing that at all!"

Rahman: "Mmm, this cake is delicious."

Soryu: "Thank you."

Soryu: "Meimei got up early this morning to bake it especially for you."

Rahman: "That's so nice!"

Rahman: "Middle Eastern men love sweets, you know."

Rahman: "Everyone here would love her cakes!"

Rahman says with a smile.

Soryu: "Well, let's get down to business now, shall we?"'

Soryu: "I really appreciate your support."

Rahman: "Well, this partnership has advantage for both of us, Soryu."

Apparently Rahman's mob and the Ice Dragons are going to... make a joint deal in several weeks with another organization.

Rahman: "So I think we should do it on this day here..."

Soryu: "The goods are in Hong Kong..."

(...This conversation is totally crazy when I think objectively about it.)

Normally, I never hear details about deals, but Soryu thought Rahman would be more... agreeable and in a better mood if I attended, so he made an exception this time.

(Rahman just seems like a kindly old man to me... like my grandpa.)

Rahman: "How soon can you get it ready?"

Soryu: "I'll go to Hong Kong and get it myself."

Rahman: "Alright, I think that's a good idea. That's the most secure option."

(I don't think I'll ask exactly WHAT Soryu's picking up...)

I think as I sip my tea.

Ryosuke: "Ah, not that!!"

Momiji: "COME BACK HERE!?"

Meimei: "Huh?"

*BANG*

I hear Ryosuke yelling and then the door bursts open.

Soryu: "!!!"

In a flash, Soryu whirls towards the door with his gun aimed at it as I do same. But no one's there.

Meimei: "What in the world..."

???: *WOOF!*

Meimei: "Ah! Jasmine!"

I turn in the direction of the bark and see Jasmine... sitting obediently at Soryu's feet, wagging her tail.

Rahman: "Oh, how cute!"

Rahman: "Where'd this puppy come from?"

Soryu: "I'm sorry, one of my men found her and brought her home."

Meimei: "She's our new family member. Her name is Jasmine."

Rahman: "Jasmine, eh? What a wonderful name you have!"

Rahman happily picks her up.

(I guess he likes dogs.)

Jasmine gleefully wags her tail at Rahaman.

Soryu: "I apologize... we haven't had time to train her yet."

Rahman: "Of course not! She's still so little. It's fine."

Rahman: "Don't worry. I can tell by her eyes that she's very smart."

Rahman: "She'll turn into a wonderful little doggy."

Meimei: "Now, now, Jasmine. You can't interrupt Soryu's work."

I takes Jasmine from Rahman, but she licks my cheek.

Meimei: "H-Hey!"

I giggled when she panting like a dog when I give her back to Ryosuke. Rahman watches her with tender eyes.

Rahman: "You know, I really think of you two as my own grandchildren."

Meimei: "Oh, thank you so much."

(Wait... "grandchildren"? That's same about my grandpa!?)

Meimei: "Do you not have any grandchildren?"

Rahman: "..."

I ask, and sudden his face clouds over a little.

Meimei: "Oh... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have to say..."

Rahman: "No, it's not a problem."

Rahman: "If we going to continue being friends, I'm sure you'd like to know about my family."

Rahman: "Grandchildren, hm... I did have one, around your age..."

I can tell that Rahman is choosing his words very carefully.

Rahman: "My grandchild was very intelligent... and just wasn't suited for the life of a mobster."

Rahman: "So he disobeyed me and ran away from home. I'm not sure what he's doing now..."

(His grandson ran away...)

Rahman: "But now I realize I had the option of not forcing the family business of him... and letting him choose what he watched to do."

Rahman: "There are others who can take over the business for me."

Rahman: "But he's absolutely irreplaceable."

Rahman looks so unbelievably sad right now.

(I wish they could have found some common ground.)

(I know I can't completely understand Rahman's world, but I want to.)

(I hope he and his grandson make up someday.)
_____________________________________

A few days later, Soryu is getting ready to fly to Hong Kong for the business deal.

Soryu: "I'm sorry you had to help me get ready."

Meimei: "No problem. I have the day off anyway. Also..."

(I want to spend as much time with him as possible since he'll be gone for a while.)

Soryu: "Oh, before I forget..."

Meimei: "What is it?"

Soryu: "Here."

Soryu says as he pulls me close to him.

Soryu: "To make up for not being able to see you for a while..."

And then he kisses me.

(But I guess Soryu's sad to leave me, too.)

I think, treasuring every minute of our kiss.

Meimei: "Soryu..."

I say the name of the man who I love, and he kisses me in response. His grip around my waist tightens, and then...

*DING DONG*

The doorbell rings at the worst possible timing ever.

Soryu: "Don't worry about it, they'll..."

Normally Samejima or Ryosuke would get it, but they've already left for Hong Kong. Soryu sighs as soon as he remembers this and lets me go.
__________________________________________

Meimei: "Coming!"

???: "Delivery."

Meimei: "Oh..."

Murata: "Huh!? Meimei!?"

I open the door and see Murata standing there.

~End of (Twist of Fate) Chapter 3~

TO BE CONTINUED...